


Something There

by 222Ravens



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Coda, Conversations, F/F, Implied Relationships, True Love is the most powerful magic of all, post 2x22
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 21:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/222Ravens/pseuds/222Ravens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's been an odd day, hasn't it?"</p><p>As the ship sails towards Neverland, David and Mr. Gold have a conversation about recent events... And a few other things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something There

The ship has been sailing for a few hours now, but by all accounts it will be some time yet before they reach the shores of Neverland.

They should all be sleeping. Snow is. Emma is, and Regina has finally collapsed, the effort of the day's magic having worn her out enough.

Even Hook is napping, David having finally convinced him to give up the wheel for a brief period of time. It hadn't been easy, but it was necessary. They were in deep water now, far from any shoals or reefs or hidden rocks. They'd need the pirate to be alert when they drew closer to the shore, especially since they were travelling through mermaid territory.

He'd had never met mermaids before, but if they were anything in the slightest bit like the siren of the lake... Well, they'd all need to be sharp.

One moment he was alone at the front (the... bow? ships weren't really his strong suit), the next minute Mr Gold-Rumplestiltskin- was beside him.

By reflex, David’s hand went to his sword, his fingers tightening around the hilt before he relaxed. Old habits died hard, and he'd had enough unpleasant dealings with the man that it was justified. Still, this was Henry's grandfather. That needed to be remembered.

Mr. Gold (using that name was… Simplest.) put up his hands in a placating gesture, silently, limping up to the railing at the front of the boat, staring out at the water. After a moment, he speaks, "It's been an odd day, hasn't it?"

David huffs a quiet laugh, correcting the course a little. "That's quite the understatement." He pauses. “Can’t sleep?”

“I don’t. Haven’t for a very long time. I did a bit under the curse, but otherwise… No. Side effect of my magic I suppose. Still, a distinct lack of nightmares.”

“No pleasant dreams, either.” David points out.

Mr. Gold’s hands clutch at the rail, supporting his weight a little. The wind is picking up a little, thankfully in the right direction. 

The ship sails on.

“I wanted to kill him.” Mr Gold says, and it takes a second for David to think of who Mr. Gold might be talking about. 

“Hook?”

“Henry.” Is the response, quiet and hollow.

David chokes. “Why? He’s your…”

“There was a… A prophecy. That a boy would lead me back to my son. But… The boy would be also be my undoing. The way things were, my son hating me, Belle a very enjoyable, vindictive shell of her former self, my own life having caused the death of… I couldn’t lose myself too. I couldn’t afford that. It was easier, especially with Belle being… Different, and Bae hating me. To… Not care to the point where I could almost kill my own grandson.” Mr. Gold sighs, turning around.

“And besides, I don’t even know what I was thinking. You _can’t_ stop a prophecy, because they never mean what you think they will. That’s one thing I’ve _never_ been able to do. Never. I’ve tried. Goodness knows I’ve tried. If I killed him, that act would have been my undoing, somehow, or would have led to it. If I didn’t?” His hands fall to his sides, defeated.

“But you didn’t kill him.” David says, trying not to be angry, trying to be the better man. Everyone deserves a chance, and Mr. Gold… Well, they need him.

Mr Gold smiles, tiredly. It’s a little disconcerting, especially in the dim light of the moon. “No, I suppose I didn’t. And now here I am. Because I may have let my own son down again… But I don’t intend to let myself make that mistake again. And if _that_ is what leads to my undoing? Well, so be it, I suppose.”

“Thank you for helping us.” David says, swallowing down any recriminations he’s tempted to make.

“I haven’t done anything yet. I didn’t even save the town.“ Mr Gold points out, staring past David at the rest of the ship. “Mind you, I thought that was impossible. I still... You explained to me what happened, but…”

David looks back at Mr. Gold. _Impossible_? Perhaps with Regina alone, but her and Emma had done it so… “What do you mean?”

"The Curse. I _know_ that curse, I built it. The trigger was a backdoor of sorts, something that Regina jury-rigged to force a self-destruct mechanism, yes. But it still functioned on the same principles as the Curse. And of course, the only thing that could stop the original Curse was, our little Saviour and her ‘True Love’.” 

He’s confused. “Isn’t that what Emma’s magic is, though? What makes her so powerful? So when she used that magic to help Regina…”

Mr. Gold shakes his head. “No. Emma’s presence alone wasn’t enough to break the curse. Obviously, you know that. And it wasn’t Emma simply using her magic that broke the curse initially, either. Her powers were dormant, she hadn’t used them yet.”

“Right. Henry was dying, and Emma kissed him on the forehead, and then…” David points out, but he’s still confused.

“A mother’s love. That’s a form of True Love, one of two kinds that can break a curse of that magnitude. You know the other, of course.” Mr. Gold checks his pocket watch, then clicks it shut. “It doesn’t always take a kiss, though that is the traditional form of it. Just a… Sufficient demonstration, I suppose.”

“So what about this time?” David presses. “Was it still about Henry? Regina and Emma combined their… Mother’s love?”

Mr. Gold shakes his head, slightly. “Possibly. The other option is…” He freezes, his expression shifting slightly, before he chuckles. “ _Well_. That would be an unexpected development, certainly.”

“What do you mean? What development?”

The other man rolls his eyes. “Do you want me to spell it out for you, David? Honestly. Why are all the heroes so dense? _Like I said_ , oh, less than a minute ago. I can’t think of any way the trigger would have been deactivated, _unless_ …” Mr. Gold waves his hands again, prompting.

David thinks, hard. It takes him a while, pulling apart everything that happened down in the mines, every interaction… Then he sucks in a breath, eyes widening. “Wait… _Emma and Regina_? But that’s… You can’t be serious. Regina has… They’ve tried to _kill each other._ ”

“And Snow robbed you and tried to kill you, once upon a time. And I imprisoned Belle. And…” Mr. Gold shrugs.

“So, you’re saying…” David starts, but Mr. Gold holds up a hand, stopping him from continuing.

“Ah, ah. I’m not saying anything. More importantly, _we’re_ not saying anything. Not to Emma, not to Regina, not to Hook or Snow or Henry, when we find him. Not a word. I could easily be wrong. There’s the explanation you suggested, for one. And there could be others. I have been wrong before, you know. Not often, but...”

“But..” David tries again, then stops. 

“But if there truly _is_ something there that, you know… Wasn’t there before? Well. That’s for the two of them to figure out, isn’t it?”

“Is that really wise? Knowing Regina? Is she even capable of that?” David asks, shaken. Because this is the women who was their enemy for so long, and his _daughter_ , and…

Mr Gold’s eyes narrow. “If someone as Dark as me can find it, dearie… So can Regina. And if I’m right? Well… I won’t be meddling. Not this time. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

David pauses. Henry needed _both_ his mothers, flawed as they were. If he spoke up about this, and they were wrong, or worse, they were _right_ about… It could destroy a great deal. And if Neal was really gone, then Emma deserved some chance at happiness. He couldn’t take that away from her, even if he disapproved of where she found it. He could do that for her, even if all his instincts were screaming against it.

“I understand.” He says, and means it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, critiques, and reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated.


End file.
